Can soaking bitter apricot seeds in water remove their toxicity?

Feb 11, 2025 Source: Cainiu Health

Dr. Zhang Xiuhong

Introduction

Amygdalin is present in bitter apricot kernels. Under the action of amygdalin enzyme and β-glucosidase from human intestinal flora, amygdalin decomposes to produce hydrogen cyanide. Hydrogen cyanide is a highly toxic substance that inhibits respiratory enzymes in cells, leading to cellular hypoxia and resulting in symptoms of poisoning such as dizziness, nausea, palpitations, and difficulty breathing. In severe cases, it can even be life-threatening.

In general, soaking bitter apricot kernels in water can remove their toxicity. The detailed explanation is as follows:

Bitter apricot kernels contain amygdalin. Under the action of amygdalin enzyme and β-glucosidase from human intestinal flora, amygdalin can decompose and produce hydrogen cyanide, a highly toxic substance that inhibits respiratory enzymes in cells, leading to cellular hypoxia, and subsequently causing poisoning symptoms such as dizziness, headache, nausea, vomiting, palpitations, difficulty breathing, and in severe cases, even endangering life. Therefore, appropriate processing is required before consumption to remove the toxicity.

Toxic components in bitter apricot kernels can be gradually dissolved in water through continuous soaking with water changes and boiling, thus reducing their toxicity. It is recommended to soak the bitter apricot kernels in warm water, changing the water once after 24 hours of soaking, and continuing the soaking until no bitter taste remains, which usually takes about 48 hours. Additionally, bitter apricot kernels can also be boiled in water for ten minutes followed by soaking for two hours, which can also significantly reduce their toxicity.

To ensure food safety, it is recommended to further perform high-temperature treatments such as boiling or steaming after soaking to completely destroy the toxic components.

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Are bitter apricot kernels toxic?

Bitter apricot kernels contain amygdalin and amygdalase. When these two substances come into contact with water, they produce hydrogen cyanide, which can bind to hemoglobin in red blood cells, impairing oxygen transport and metabolism within tissue cells, leading to cellular hypoxia and potentially even death. Ingestion of excessive amounts of bitter apricot kernels or their extracts may also cause symptoms of poisoning.

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Are bitter apricot seeds toxic?

In general, whether bitter apricot kernels are toxic depends on the specific circumstances. Bitter apricot kernels that have not been properly processed contain toxins and should not be consumed directly. By contrast, sweet apricot kernels, commonly eaten as snacks in daily life, are non-toxic and safe for consumption. To avoid accidentally ingesting toxic apricot kernels, it is recommended to purchase sweet apricot kernels from reputable sources and avoid randomly collecting or buying apricot kernels of unknown origin.